The Month of Ramadan

July 30, 2015.

The holy month of Ramadan took place this year from June 18 to July 16. The timing of this month of fasting from sunrise to sunset is based on the lunar Muslim liturgical calendar and varies from year to year.

It is marked by a refocus on spiritual life and includes recitations by children of the Holy Quran, much like Christian children reciting memorized Bible Verses in a spelling bee format. Successful "recitees" get certificates of recognition and gifts to encourage them to know and understand their religion. For 28 consecutive evenings, every "break-fast" is a shared meal with...MORE

Me/We and Questscope event to UN

June 23, 2015.

Invisibility and voicelessness are two characteristics that plague refugee populations. The vibrant individual life story is too often obscured once a person has been labeled as a refugee. Questscope is committed to giving a platform to that individual voice and to partnering with organizations who share that same ideal.

About a year and a half ago, Questscope partnered with Me/We Syria. Founded by Mohsin Mohi-Ud Din and funded by the German government, Me/We Syria helps disadvantaged youth narrate their...MORE

It takes a mom

May 18, 2015.

“How can you handle your mentoring work along with caring for your family in the camp?”

“These are also our kids—the kids who will build Syria in the future. So I care about them as I care for my own kids,” said Mariam.

Mariam is a mentoring coordinator for Questscope’s mentoring program in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp—a role that has made her a mother to many.  

Moms are the most powerful beings with the most difficult job ever. It takes tremendous strength to raise a child in normal conditions, but imagine trying to do so in the hard living conditions of...MORE

When a picture speaks a thousand words

May 18, 2015.

When voices can't be heard, photography can cross all cultural and linguistic barriers, to tell a story and reflect the anguish buried inside the hearts and minds of Syrian war refugees, some of whom are traumatized beyond finding word to communicate.

A project called Photo Voice was implemented in a few of our Non-Formal Education centers to give children a chance, beyond words, to be understood.

Photo Voice is a kind of participatory action research that utilizes both images and group dialogue as a way to understand the experience of marginalized or disadvantaged...MORE

Mentor's Reality

April 19, 2015.

"It was the worse trip I had to take in my life, a trip where I had to leave my home, all my belongings. I remember a tear in the eye of my old neighbor and the shadows of a homeland that we may never come back to."

"Here in the refugee camp, our new reality: “refugees.” There were times when we would be so frustrated it turned into self-pity, and everything around us seemed to have only a black color. At those points we could have been thinking, this is the end of the journey!"

"Except, it’s not!"

"When you meet...MORE

A New Beginning to a New Story

April 19, 2015.

A new chapter is getting ready to start in the story of those who have been waiting for light at the end of a dark tunnel, and new doors of hope are about to open for those who lost their keys.

Sixty new centers for Non-Formal Education are about to open their doors for more than 3000 children pushed on the edge of life by war and poverty. Who lost their right to sit and learn like children in normal circumstances should at their age.

Questscope and the Jordanian Ministry of Education have initiated a new level of strategic partnership  with this project, as an example...MORE

“Once upon a time….”

March 18, 2015.

With these words one of the children described his experience in participating in one of Questscope’s activities, which became a story to tell according to this young boy, with much experience and morals to learn and tell the others.

As simple as these activities are, as much influence it had on the mind and spirit of these young children. Those children have been forced from their homes, and have suffered the brutality of war, yet now they can see the world colorful again.

Those activities where held and performed by Questscope as a part of a mentoring project in...MORE

Jean Vanier Wins Templeton Prize

March 18, 2015.

Questscope congratulates Jean Vanier, recipient of the 2015 Templeton Prize. The esteemed award honors a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works. Vanier is the founder of L’Arche International, a global network of residential communities in which people with and without disabilities share their lives.

 Vanier is a longtime friend of Questscope, and mentor who has inspired our team and our work with disadvantaged youth. He emphasizes empowerment and healing through...MORE

Hand-in-hand....to pray.

February 24, 2015.

No words can describe my feelings about what happened to Muath, our Jordanian pilot. I had two distinct pains when I saw the video. The first pain was that of seeing a human being burned alive inside a metal cage. The second pain was that of seeing a Muslim burned alive ostensibly in the name of Islam.

Those who killed the pilot believed that after the video of burning Muath was broadcast, Jordanians would start burning Jordan in response. On the next day at noon, when people were going to pray for Muath, I was walking to the mosque during the call to prayer. At...MORE

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